Cassettes | The Quietus

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews for May by Daryl Worthington

Retching punk, ecstatic pummelling, rhythms made from paper and VCRs, time-bending loops and a wonderfully off-piste post punk reissue – Daryl Worthington peaks into May’s cassette releases

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews for March by Daryl Worthington

Daryl Worthington speaks to Turmeric Acid about telepathic collaborations, and reviews tapes of free-wheeling hardanger and Andean flute improvisations, sat nav fall outs, ecstatic noise and more in March’s dive into the cassette scene

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews for January by Daryl Worthington

A new year finds the tape scene as vibrant, weird and wonderful as ever. Daryl Worthington dives into water tapestries, time-folding folk and hip-hop, vibrant electronic noise and an album of online product reviews

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews for October by Daryl Worthington

A mixtape of Indonesian horror movie sounds, a doom metal supergroup from Beijing, the return of Felinto and a pair of artists embracing the sounds of insects. Daryl Worthington reports from the ever vibrant tape underground

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews for September by Daryl Worthington

In September’s report from the cassette fringes, Daryl Worthington explores Beirut-founded label Ruptured, and reviews tapes of blistering noise, slinky punk-funk, library music and the self-proclaimed best producer in the Middle East

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews for July by Daryl Worthington

Extreme metal choirs and imagined protest songs, electro-medieval kosmiche and footwork experiments plus the return of Moth Cock in this bi-month’s dive into the world of cassettes

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews for May by Daryl Worthington

Hooligan trombone, microtonal synth-wave, time-dilated dub and sweathouse drone. Daryl Worthington finds worlds within worlds in the cassette scene this month

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For March By Daryl Worthington

Tradition defying bagpipes, failed field recordings of frogs, shimmering post punk and deep electronics from a hair salon in this month’s cassette reviews

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For January By Daryl Worthington

Achingly raw spoken word, achingly raw vocal contortions, dungeon synth from an abandoned church, and a whole load of duos in this month’s Spool’s Out

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For October By Daryl Worthington

Singing devices, an almighty snare drum rucus, and a council estate reimagined through an echo chamber. Daryl Worthington dives into this month’s cassettes

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For August By Daryl Worthington

From babbling dictaphone freakouts to spectral vocal music, imaginary landscapes to IDM-tinged jousting beats via a trio working with resonating snares, the cassette scene is as peculiar and vital as ever this August

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For June By Daryl Worthington

As heralds of a cassette comeback strike again, Daryl Worthington finds truly triumphant synth odysseys, hurdy-gurdy vs guitar live jams and a metronome quartet help break the sense of going around in circles

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For April By Daryl Worthington

Among drone-folk trips and joyously messed up noise jazz, Daryl Worthington finds the cassette scene has taken a political turn, whether immersive electronics fighting for free time, nostalgia-busting collages, or colonialism attacking text-sound compositions

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For February By Daryl Worthington

Daryl Worthington gets some of the story behind Jordanian label Drowned By Locals, and dives into some of the finest cassettes of the winter, from Chapman Stick odysseys via poignant collages and high velocity beats

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For November By Daryl Worthington

Daryl Worthington speaks to a tape label expanding the possibilities of footwork, and reviews some of the most intriguing tapes of the Autumn, from world-building electronics to light triggered synthesis and a trumpet/cello/drums power trio

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For September By Daryl Worthington

Daryl Worthington speaks to the immensely prolific free-folk/tape loop/ musique concrète composer Bardo Todol, and reviews some of the most life-affirmingly odd tapes of the early autumn

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For July By Daryl Worthington

Free-wheeling guitar and viola jams, fantastically glitched hip hop, doomy field recordings, epic synths and miraculous electronic music. Daryl Worthington digs into the tapes of summer

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For May By Daryl Worthington

A haunting folk relic from Japan, a mafia themed concept album, drum virtuoso hyper pop, and an occult radio play. Daryl Worthington finds there’s a host of fascinating stories in the tape world this month

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For April By Daryl Worthington

3D live coded beats, genre defying swing, revelatory flute, a fantastic compilation from Peru, and more. Daryl Worthington dives into the tape world for April

Cassettes

Spool’s Out: Cassette Reviews For March By Daryl Worthington

Daryl Worthington speaks to Constellation Tatsu about a decade of releasing music on tape, and looks at some of the most exciting music on cassette this month, from Paraguayan harp to paranormal cut-ups, four track riots to glistening synths and brutal electronics